NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. — The University of New Hampshire hockey team has been a third-period team most of the season.

Not Friday night.

Merrimack scored the go-ahead goal early in the third to snap a tie and provide the impetus for a 3-2 win Friday night at Lawler Arena as UNH’s second-half struggles continue.

The loss was the second straight for the fourth-ranked Wildcats and third in the last four games. They also fell to 1-5-1 in their last seven contests against the Warriors.

Merrimack’s Brian Christie scored the game-winning goal seven seconds into the third when he beat UNH goalie Jeff Wyer with a low shot to the stick side to cap a rush off the opening faceoff.

“There was almost a whole period left,” said junior defenseman Eric Knodel, who scored the Wildcats’ first goal. “There was plenty of time for us to get two goals and maybe three if we work hard and do what we need to do. We just couldn’t get enough opportunities.”

Merrimack outshot UNH in the third period, 13-6, and 35-31 overall.

Wyer, a junior, was making his first start of the season and second of his career in place of sophomore Casey DeSmith, who was pulled in two of the previous three games.

UNH dropped to 14-6-2 overall and 9-5-1 in Hockey East while the Warriors improved to 10-9-5 and 8-5-2. Merrimack is 5-1-1 in its last seven league games.

The Wildcats had outscored the opposition 25-9 in the third entering Friday’s game and 15-3 in league play.

“They scored off the opening faceoff in the third period,” said UNH coach Dick Umile. “That was the disappointing part. I thought the guys battled hard tonight. It was a hockey game. The bottom line is they made the play in the third.”

The teams meet again today (5 p.m.) at Manchester Verizon Wireless Arena. DeSmith is expected to be in goal for that game.

“Every game’s a must-win for us,” Knodel said. “We want to get out there and do our best and make sure we come out on top. This makes (tonight’s) game even more important.”

Merrimack’s Mike Collins figured in all three of the Warriors’ goals with two goals and an assist.

The clubs were deadlocked 2-2 at the end of two periods. Down 1-0, the Wildcats scored twice on goals by Knodel and Casey Thrush to take a 2-1 lead.

The advantage was short-lived, however, as the Warriors pulled even 32 seconds later on Collins’s second goal of the game.

“When we took that lead the most important shift is the next one to get it back down in their zone,” Knodel said. “Unfortunately we didn’t do that and they got the momentum right back.”

UNH carried the play for the first half of the second period, outshooting Merrimack 9-0 and outscoring the Warriors 2-0.

Knodel put the Wildcats on the board at 3:50 of the second period when his shot from the left point deflected in. Nick Sorkin and Austin Block assisted.

UNH went ahead on the goal by Thrush, whose spin move at the corner of the crease resulted in his fourth goal of the season and a 2-1 lead at 9:40 of the second.

The Warriors answered less than a minute later at 10:12 to defuse the Wildcats’ momentum. UNH outshot Merrimack in the second period, 16-10.

“They came right back and answered our second goal,” Umile said. “Collins scored a great goal from the short side up over Jeff’s shoulder.”

The Wildcats trailed 1-0 after one period on a goal by Collins, whose quick wrist shot from the right circle beat Wyer through a screen.

The goal came with one minute left in the first period. UNH had the only power play in the period when Merrimack’s Josh Myers was penalized for tripping, but the Wildcats couldn’t capitalize.

“We’ve got to find a way (today) to come back and get a split on the weekend,” Umile said.